Hungarian reserve NCOs in international confederation

31 October 2024 remains a memorable day in the history of CISOR (Confédération Interalliée des Sous-Officiers de Réserve). From now on, the organization has 17 members, as on behalf of Hungary, Chief Warrant Officer Lajos Hérincs, command sergeant major at the HDF Territorial Defence Forces Command signed the accession agreement of reserve NCOs of the Hungarian Defence Forces in the conference center of Julius-Leber barracks in Berlin.

HDF Command Sergeant Major CSM Zoltán Kaszab and Dr. Péter Szaló, Vice-President of the Association of Hungarian Reservists (MATASZ) also attended the ceremonial event, within the framework of which the signing of the agreement was followed by the handover-takeover of the current presidency. Finnish Sergeant Major Minna Nenonen took over the two-year presidential mandate from German Chief Sergeant Major Reinhard Knott.

But what is exactly CISOR and what opportunities does it offer to the Hungarian Defence Forces?

The idea of an international NCO network had already been formed in the officer corps of European allies before the Second World War, but following the peace treaties, only three countries, namely Belgium, the Netherlands and France started trilateral cooperation. Following their first congress in Brussels in 1948, several countries applied for membership, thus on 1 June 1963, the founding charter of CISOR’s legal predecessor organization was ratified by the representatives of Luxemburg, the Federal Republic of Germany, Switzerland, and France.

Since 2013, CISOR has been operating under its present name and in its current organizational form as the parent organization of the national European NCO Reserve Corps within NATO and also at the international level. CISOR’s mission is to contribute to the creation of a European defense system to safeguard freedom in Europe together with European and national civil and military authorities. Currently, it is working to create an international common Reservists Statute and to boost the military improvement, theoretical and practical, of all members.

For Hungarian reserve NCOs, accession to CISOR offers an opportunity for developing and deepening international relations. First and foremost, the member organizations share their experiences among themselves concerning recruitment, training and the functioning of the reserve system, which is complemented with joint sporting competitions and events.